Beam clamp



Oct. 13, 1970 F. VECCHIARELLI T 5 BEAM CLAMP Orginal Filed Aug. 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @C; 13, 197@ VECCHIARELL! ETAL 3533,58?

BEAM CLAN? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Orgnal Filed Aug. 25, 1967 INVENTORS United States atent 3,533,587 BEAM CLAMP Francis Vecchiarelli, River Edge, N.J., and E. Carr Smith,

Coral Gables, Fla., assignors to Alcan Aluminum Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New York Original application Aug. 25, 1967, Sex. 663,306. Divided and this application Oct. 4, 1968, Sex. No. 797,292 Int. Cl. E04b 1/40 U.S. Cl. 248-228 2 Clams ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Beam elements comprising a web having at opposite edges thereof a minor end flange and a major end flange. A series of articulated roof panels separably interconnected to each other are supported on the major flange. Locking ribs are formed along the face of the beam web forming a gap adapted to receive a free edge of a looking clip. A locking clip has an edge thereof in said gap and the other edge against the upper surface of the roof panels. The major end flange is in the form of a channel adapted to receive and carry off surface water discharges from the roof surface. A faca covers the exposed peripheral sides of the structure. The facia forms a trough communicating with drainage channels of the beams or with the free ends of roof channels. The structural member is supported either from the face of a building by use of overhead cantilever supports or tension rods, or as a free-standing structure by use of suitable posts or pillars, or as a combination of overhead supports and posts supports by attachment to the wall and to the posts.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is a marquee structure including a beam element having a web, a minor end flange on the web, a locking rib on the web inwardly spaced from the minor end flange at each face of the web and forming at the inner faces of the flange a pair of gaps adapted to receive the free edges of a supporting bracket. A supporting bracket provides an upstanding cantilever-attachment flange, a beam flange embracng body and a pair of oppositely disposed bracket Iocking flanges adapted, respectively, to enter the gaps at the inner faces of the minor end flange. The locking ribs have formed a bead along their free edges and the .bracket locking flanges having a similar bead formed along their free edges adapted to engage, respectively, the first named beads. The bracket is separable into a pair of identical sections on a vertical medial line through the flange whereby the free edges of the locking flanges may be inserted into their respective gaps in a lateral direction in respect to the opposite edges of the beam flange.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 663,306, filed Aug. 25, 1967, now abandoned.

Ths invention relates to weather-tight shelters of all kinds, including but not limited to roofs, porticos, marquees, ceilings, sun shelters, patio covers, canopies, carports, porch covers, fences and storm shutters.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide a cover structure comprised of a plurality of elements including interconnected panel elements which Will be weatherproof, strong and of pleasing appearance, means comprising supporting beams for such panels, and peripheral facia mem-bers, ali interconnected in a simple and secure manner to provide complete drainage of surface water where required.

Moreover, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple structural element comprising a structural module.

It is a particular purpose of the invention to provide a modular portico system consisting of beam elements, in-

ter-engaged roof panels locking clips and facia members, of such number and size as to enable an unskilled person t0 erect a modular structural member with a minimum of eiort and simple tools, and one which will require a minimum number of bolts and screws.

It is a further object of the invention to so form the component parts of the system as to render modular assemblies and elements of such assemblies compatible with each other to the extent that any number of them may be integrated into a structure of required dimensions.

It is a further object of the invention by utilizing roof panels of uniform length within the modules to utflize pre-cut and pre-packaged sections of roof panels of a fixed length to construct structures of any size from said packages and, therefore, reduce considerably the amount of cutting required for specific installations and, by so doing, reduce the amount of waste lengths of panels which would otherwise ensue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed specification in light of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a marquee structure in which the invention is embodied;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a bifurcated fitting of the ends of the overhead supporting rods in marquee structures;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The major end flange 16 is formed as a channel by reason of an upstanding web 26 which runs along the length of the major end flange at its outer extremity. The upstanding web 26 terminates in an inwardly extending portion comprising a panel support flange 28.

The roof panels 30 are interconnected with each other at adjacent interlocking edges. Bach panel is formed of a pair of trough-sha-ped portions. More specifically, the panel 30 of FIG. 2, for example, has trough-shaped body sections each having a trough web 34 and upwarly diverging ramp sections 36 and 38. The free edges of the panels are disposed in a common plane. One edge has formed along its length a fernale bead (not shown) which is generally cylindrical in shape and open at the opposite ends thereof. The opposite edge of the panel s in the form of an open ended, generally cylindrical male bead (not shown) which extends along the length of the panel. The female bead has an internal diameter sufliciently large to receive the male bead of an adjacent pane] for the purpose of forming a tight interconnection between adjacent panels. Adjacent trough-shaped body portions of a panel are interconnected by a horizontal apex web 44 and in the illustrative em bodiment of the panel.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the marquee may be supported from some existing building structure by resort to cantilever type support rods, although the use of the invention for the formation of free standing shelters by resort to supporting posts or pillars extending upwardly from a ground level surface, for example, is contemplated.

In the installation of any desired structure, a requisite number of bearn elements 10, such as the four shown in FIG. 1, are sutably installed at a predetermined height and in a parallel relationship forming thereby a support for roof panels between adjacent beams. Assuming that two beams 10 have been so installed, it now becomes a simple matter to install the roof panels by resting the ends of such panels on the panel support flange 16 of spaced beams such that the ends of the panels are in contact or substantially in contact with the flange 22 of the facing abutment rib 20 of spaced beams. In so installing the panels, they can be installed section-by-section, as

above described, and When so installed, they will form a weather-tight cover as stated before. After the panel sections have been installed, the locking clipS 60 are put into place.

The obtuse wing 64 of the locking clip is pressed down into engagement with the apex of the panels 30 so that the acute locking wing 66 can be inserted into the slot formed between the minor end flange 14 and the locking rib 18. When so inserted and then released, the resilence of the panel sections 30 Will tilt the locking clip 60 upwardly to eflect engagement between the beads 68 and the edge of the clip.

When a preselected number of portico modules has been installed, the exposed periphery of the installation has applied thereto a facia member 72 as in FIG. 1, for example.

When the portico system is used for the construction of a marquee having cantilevered or tension rod supports from overhead, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, supports ex tending from the face 108 of a building, such as rods 110 pivoted between a bracket 112 anchored to the face of the building and a special marquee bracket 114 attached to the beam elements and being so formed and arranged as to make special locking engagement With the beads 68 of the locking ribs 18. The rear end of the beam elements is attached by building anchor brackets 116, as shown in FIG. 2. Here the bracket has a forwardly extending bifurcated portion 118 which is adapted to receive the web 12 of the beam element.

The marquee bracket 114 is best shown in the view of FIG. 4 which is a transverse section through the beam element to which the bracket is attached. In this figure, the bracket is shown as consisting of a pair of identical upstanding support rod attachment flanges 120. Bach flange at its base has a beam flange embracing body 122 With an inwardly extending bracket locking flange 124 which terminates in a locking bead 126. The free end of the bracket locking flange 124 is adapted to enter the slot formed between the minor end flange 14 of the beam element and the locking rib 18 thereof. The free edge of each bracket locking flange has formed thereon a locking bead 128 which is the same as the locking bead 68 of the locking rib of the beam element With the exception that it is reversely disposed.

When the minor end flange 14 is embraced by the beam flange embracing body 122 of the marquee bracket 114 and the free edges of the bracket locking flanges 124 are within the gap between the minor end flange 14 and the locking rib of the beam element, the upstanding support rod attachment flanges 120 are slightly separated, leaving a gap 129 at the confronting free edges. When the nut on the flange connecting bolt 130 is but slightly tightened, the marquee bracket Will slide freely along the flange of the beam element and thereby facilitates adjustment thereof as may be necessary for levelling the marquee structure. When a level attitude has been achieved, the nut is tightened to bring the bracket elements into clamping engagement with the flange of the beam element. This action Will pivot the beam flange embracing body on the edge of the minor end flange 14 and throw the bracket locking flanges 124 downwardly With the result that the locking bead 126 s in engagement With the bead on the locking rib of the beam element. At this time the upper ends of the upstanding cantilever attachment flanges 120 Will be in contact With each other and the bracket 114 Will be tightly locked to the flange of the beam. One or more screws 127 may be employed to fix the bracket to the beam flange when its ultimate position is determined. The locking bracket in combination With the upper flange of the beam, by virtue of its ability to be attached at any point along the length of the upper flange, can therefore be placed at the best position along the beam to gain maximum strength of the beam structure by the proper selection of amount of overhanging structure and also 4 provide for lower wall mounting heights for better appearance.

The fittings and 132 at the opposite ends of the support rod 110 are, as shown in FIG. 3, bifurcated structures consisting of a pair of fingers 134 and 136 formed by diametrically opposite notches 138 formed in the rod engaging socket of the fitting. This imparts a degree of resilence to the socket and permits the fingers 134 and 136 to be drawn up tightly against the end of the rod 110 by the bolt 140. A transverse internal Web 142 connects the fingers 134 and 136 of the fitting and seals it against passage of Water therethrough. A pair of apertured ears 144 and 146 are adapted to straddle the brackets 112 and 114 so that the rod may be attached thereto by bolts passing through the fittings and the related brackets.

It is contemplated that suitable drainage structures be used With a marquee, as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for draining rain water at the end of the marquee adjacent the building wall. As best shown in FIG. 2, a flashing strip 150 is attached to the wall 108. This strip extends the width of the marquee and covers the gap between the inner edge of the marquee and the buliding wall. As best shown in FIG. 2, the flashing strip extends downwardly from the building wall toward the upper surface of the marquee roof at a relatively gentle inclination and then continues downwardly at a greater inclination, terminating in the panel trough beyond the apex flange 44. By so disposing the flashing strip, it Will resist wnd pressure and driving rain. Any rain which may be driven under the flashing strip and beyond the edge of the last panel, can be taken care of by a gutter 152 extending the Width of the marquee structure attached to the Wall 108 of the building.

We claim:

1. In a marquee structure including a beam element having a web, a minor end flange on said web, a locking rib on said web inwardly spaced from said minor end flange at each face of said web and forming at the inner faces of said flange a pair of gaps adapted to receive the free edges of a supporting bracket, a suporting bracket having an upstanding cantilever-attachment flange, a beam flange embracing body and a pair of oppositely disposed bracket locking flanges adapted, respectively, to enter said gaps, said locking ribs having formed a bead along their free edges and said bracket locking flanges having a similar bead formed along their free edges adapted to engage, respectively, said first named beads, said bracket being separable into a pair of identical sections on a vertical medial through said flange whereby the free edges of said locking flanges may be inserted into their respective gaps in a lateral direction in respect to the opposite edges of said beam flange.

2. In a marquee structure including a beam element having a Web, a minor end flange on said web, a locking rib on said web inwardly spaced from said minor end flange at each face of said web and forming at the inner faces of said flange a pair of gaps adapted to receive the free edges of a supporting bracket, a supporting bracket having an upstanding cantilever-attachment flange, a. beam flange embracing body and a pair of oppositely disposed bracket locking flanges adapted, respectively, to enter said gaps said locking ribs having formed a bead along their free edges and said bracket locking flanges having a similar bead formed along their free edges adapted to engage, respectively, said first named beads, said bracket being separable into a pair of identical sections on a vertical medial lime through said cantileverattaching flange whereby the free edges of said bracket locking flanges may be inserted into their respective gaps in a lateral direction in respect to opposite edges of said beam flange and said beam flange spaces said cantileverattachment flanges from each other When said bracket flanges are mounted on said beam element, whereby said bracket locking flanges are pivoted downwardly about the 6 respective edges of said beam flange and said beads are 2,233,901 3/1941 Scacchetti 248-228 X oppositely engaged With each other when said canti- 2,961,269 11/1960 Renfroe 248-228 X aver attachmg flanges are rawn together ROY D FRAZIER Primary Examiner References Cited 5 I. P. FOSS, Assistant Examner UNITED STATES PATENTS Cl. X.R. 1,686,993 10/1928 Suter. 248--72 

